JPS63234956A - Ultrasonic probe for body cavity - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic probe, and in particular, to an ultrasonic probe for use in a body cavity, the temperature of the surface near the ultrasonic transducer is determined. It relates to a technique suitable for knowing.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, when using an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe that is inserted into a body cavity such as the esophagus, urethra, anus, or vagina to capture ultrasound images, when using it clinically, it is necessary to The heat generated from the sonic transducer increases the temperature of the surface of the intracorporeal ultrasound probe.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, conventional probes for use in body cavities do not take this point into consideration, and in the worst case, they may cause low-temperature burns to the patient.

The temperature that causes low-temperature burns is generally considered to be about 41°C or higher. Therefore, with conventional probes for use in body cavities, in order to keep the surface temperature below this level, the ultrasound output must be lowered based on the intuition of the operator, or ultrasound must be generated intermittently. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for determining the surface temperature near the ultrasound transducer of an ultrasound probe for use in a body cavity without relying on the operator's intuition. It is in.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound probe for use in a body cavity,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that can prevent a patient from suffering damage to a living body such as low-temperature burns during use.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means for solving problems]

A brief overview of typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe that is inserted into a body cavity to take an ultrasound image is characterized in that a temperature detector is provided near the ultrasound transducer.

[Effect]

According to the above means, by providing the temperature detector near the ultrasonic transducer, the output of the temperature detector is, for example,
Since it can be displayed on a temperature display or an image display, the surface temperature near the ultrasound transducer of the ultrasound probe can be known. As a result, 2. For example, when the output of the temperature detector reaches approximately 41°C, the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception control section of the ultrasonic device main body is operated to temporarily stop the generation of ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic probe Since the ultrasonic wave is generated again after the temperature of the group has decreased and the diagnosis is restarted, it is possible to prevent the patient from suffering damage to the living body such as low-temperature burns during use.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

Note that throughout the description of the embodiments, parts having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof will be omitted.

[Example I]

FIG. 1 is a plan view, viewed from the ultrasound emission side, showing a schematic configuration of the main parts of an intracorporeal ultrasound probe installed in an endoscope according to Example 2 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of the intrabody cavity ultrasound probe of Example I shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ``--'' in FIG. 1.

The intrabody cavity ultrasound probe of Example I is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in the figure, head portion 1. Cable 2 and grip part 3
It consists of

The head portion 1 is protected by a head case 10 made of resin such as plastic, and a temperature detector 11 made of, for example, a thermistor is provided at the tip of the head case 10.

The output terminal of this temperature detector 11 is flexible.

It is connected to a lead wire 12 provided in the cable 2, and this lead wire 12 is connected to a temperature indicator 14 provided in the grip portion 3.

An ultrasonic transducer 13 and an optical section (not shown) are provided near the temperature detector 11.

As shown in FIG.
An ultrasonic transducer group 13B is provided above A, and an acoustic lens 13C made of a transparent material is provided above it. Each ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic transducer group 13B is connected to a lead wire 13B1. These lead wires 13B1
and lead wire 12 are arranged within flexible cable 2.

The grip portion 3 includes a cable connection terminal portion 15 for connecting the cable 2 to the electric circuit of the ultrasound device main body. Head part operating device 16 for moving the head part 1 in a predetermined direction
and an eyepiece section 17 of an optical system. 15A is a cable for connecting the intracorporeal ultrasound probe and the electric circuit of the ultrasound device.

As can be seen from the above description, according to the present embodiment I, the temperature detector 11 is provided in the vicinity of the ultrasonic transducer group 13B, so that the output of the temperature detector 11 is transmitted to the temperature display 1.
4, the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 1°3 of the ultrasonic probe can be known. As a result, for example, the output of the temperature sensor 11 is approximately 41
℃, operate the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception control unit (not shown) of the ultrasonic device main body to temporarily stop the generation of ultrasonic waves, and wait for the temperature of the ultrasonic transducer 13 to drop. Since the diagnosis is restarted by generating ultrasonic waves again, the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 13 is detected by the temperature detector 11 and displayed on the temperature display 14 through the lead wire 12. As a result, even if the surface temperature of the head case 10 rises due to heat generated from the ultrasonic transducer 13 while using the ultrasound endoscope of the first embodiment, the operator can use the temperature display 14
By observing the surface temperature displayed in , the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 13 of the head case 10 can be known, so 1. During use, it is possible to prevent the patient from suffering damage to the living body such as low-temperature burns.

[Example ■]

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe according to Example H of the present invention, viewed from the ultrasound emission side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the intrabody cavity ultrasound probe of this embodiment So that the ultrasonic transducer 13 and the temperature indicator 14 provided on the grip portion 3 are arranged on the same plane.

It is attached directly. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 18 denotes a non-slip pad to make it easier to hold.

By configuring the head section 1 to be attached directly to the grip section '3 in this way, the operator can easily keep the head section in the living body while using the intracorporeal ultrasound probe of this embodiment (2). Also, the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 13 can be known, and the direction of ultrasonic radiation can also be known by the location of the temperature indicator 14.

[Example ■]

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the schematic configuration of an ultrasonic device using an intracorporeal ultrasonic probe according to Example 2 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic device of the present embodiment (2) has a temperature indicator 14 provided on the grip portion 3 of the intracorporeal ultrasound probe of the above-mentioned embodiment (2). It was established in Lead wires 13B1 and 12 of the ultrasonic transducer 13 and temperature detector 11 of the intrabody cavity ultrasonic probe shown in FIG. The ultrasound device main body 20 includes an image display device 22.
is attached to display ultrasound images obtained from an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe.

By providing the temperature display 14 in the ultrasound device main body 20 in this way, the operator can display the surface temperature near the ultrasound transducer 13 of the intrabody cavity ultrasound probe while operating the ultrasound device. Since the temperature can be displayed on the ultrasonic transducer 14, the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 13 in use can be easily monitored.

Incidentally, the output of the temperature detector 11 is transmitted to the ultrasonic device main body 2.
Digital scan code provided at 0.

If the surface temperature near the ultrasonic transducer 13 is stored in the memory of the converter and displayed on the image display 22 using ultrasonic image display technology, it is possible to know the surface temperature while viewing the ultrasonic image. It is also possible to omit the temperature indicator in Example I, (2).

The present invention has been specifically described above based on examples, but 1.
It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, by providing the temperature detector near the ultrasonic transducer, the output of the temperature detector can be displayed on, for example, a temperature display or an image display. This allows us to know the surface temperature of the ultrasonic probe. As a result, for example, when the output of the temperature detector reaches approximately 41°C, the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception control section of the ultrasonic device main body is operated to temporarily stop the generation of ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic transducer section Since the ultrasonic wave is generated again after the temperature has decreased and the diagnosis is restarted, the patient can be prevented from suffering damage to the living body such as low-temperature burns during use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view, viewed from the ultrasound emission side, showing a schematic configuration of the main parts of an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe provided in an endoscope according to Example 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of an intrabody cavity ultrasound probe according to the embodiment (■) of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the section line (■-■) in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the ultrasound probe for use in a body cavity according to the embodiment (■) of the present invention, as seen from the ultrasound radiation side, showing a schematic configuration of the ultrasound probe for use in a body cavity according to the embodiment (2) of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the schematic configuration of the ultrasonic device used. In the figure, 1...head part, 2...cable, 3...
Grip portion, 10... Head case, 11;... Temperature detector, 12... Lead wire, 13... Ultrasonic transducer, 1
4... Temperature display, 15°... Cable connection terminal section, 16... Head operation device, 17... Eyepiece section, 20
...Ultrasonic device main body, 21...Cable, 22...
・It is an image display device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An intrabody cavity ultrasound probe that is inserted into a body cavity to capture an ultrasound image, characterized in that a temperature detector is provided near the ultrasound transducer. Child.